 According to a 2016 global survey by vodafone 75% of companies now have some flexible working policy in practice, and of the 8000 companies surveyed, 61% believed profits increased, and 83% reported an increase in overall productivity.
With the vast and rapid spread of technology, electronic management and communication tools, and, the rising costs, increased congestion, and transport infrastructure challenges involved in physical travel to and from specified workplaces, it's clear that flexible working is not only possible, it’s looking like a significant part of the business future. However the advantages and disadvantages of flexible working for each person, and each individual business, vary enormously. Immediate advantages to your business may include a happier workforce (assuming they have requested flexible working), a wider choice when recruiting, (to include staff who have specific time/geographical restrictions for instance), and a reduction in pressure on physical workspace and resources, such as desk space and recreation/breakout areas. However, there are also potential disadvantages, arising from reduced ‘face time’ amongst team members, reduced one-to-one and meeting time between staff and management, and between the company and its customers. It can also be more difficult to plan events and meetings, can cause confusion in the reporting chain, where a key link member is unavailable at times when his or colleagues need them, and may also contribute to a lack of team motivation, especially when staff in the office feel under pressure, and as if those working elsewhere or different hours don't understand or feel the pressure in the same way. In (non-scientific) conversation with employees of a major UK employer recently, Salteditor identified that of those working flexibly, most considered that although officially full-time, or on a four-day week, they consider it normal to do some work every day, thereby being ‘on call’ six or even seven days. Furthermore, although they greatly appreciate the flexibility the arrangement offers, they feel that they work at least as hard as their office-based colleagues, often going without lunch breaks or weekends off, in order to fulfil their workload. All UK employees have the right to request flexible working. An employer is legally bound to consider an official request ‘reasonably’ i.e. to look at the specific advantages and disadvantages of the request, and can only refuse, if an appropriate business reason is identified. Clearly this leaves a fair bit of room for manoeuvre, but at least it offers everyone a chance to talk about it. Here are few top tips to think about if you, or your team are planning to adopt a flexible working policy. 1. Make sure all staff are included in the discussions, and it is made clear who may be eligible and why others may, or may not. 2. Have regular face-to-face meetings with all staff and make it clear what you expect of team members working away from the office. This needs to be detailed, with clear goals and timescales, and required reporting procedure. There’s a fine line between ‘pleasantly informal’ and ‘frankly unprofessional’. 3. Instigate systems for central reporting on progress, updating of critical path documents for instance, so other relevant team members can see how the work is moving along and where everyone’s input fits in. 4. Provide appropriate tools for remote working and reporting, including central diary and project software, Skype or similar ‘face-time’ systems for necessary ‘meetings’. 5. Conduct careful risk assessment with regard to security, where company-confidential information is accessible outside the office, and put appropriate safeguards in place. 6. Remember, it’s also important to protect the privacy of the home-based employee, and everyone should be fully briefed on the use of private addresses, the visible presence of children, and so on. (It isn't just unprofessional to face-time your customers while you and your children frolic in a paddling pool in your garden, its also potentially dangerous for the family). 7. Make sure that results are communicated as effectively as tasks. It's all too easy for the out-of-office worker to feel that he or she is just delivering work into a 'black hole'. 8. Keep in touch with all members of the team and try to plan regular face-to-face meetings where possible. Encourage interactivity between office-based and remote workers, and keep track not only of the work being done, but also of the wellbeing of team members. Keep an eye out for changes, drifting, potential overwork, or signs of isolation or loneliness. Flexible working may well herald a better work-life balance, but as with any balancing act, its good to know who’s there to catch you if you bend a bit too far, and end up putting your back out.  These days it seems that as soon as we buy anything, whether it’s a meal in a restaurant, an electrical product, or a car service, even a dental hygiene check, we are immediately bombarded with requests for feedback, from lengthy satisfaction surveys, to suggestions for Trip Advisor reviews and ‘star ratings’ to help businesses overtake their competitors.
Just recently, salteditor and a friend had a drink at the bar of a branch of a well-known chain. As soon as the drinks were served, the cheery restaurant manager handed us a sheaf of paper with handy instructions and a request for us to ‘rate’ them on Trip Advisor. In another case, the manager of a long-established independent restaurant, (a favourite of salteditor’s as it happens), was complaining about the pressure he was under to take part in yet another ‘Good Food Awards’ scheme, which would involve asking every customer to fill out a form before leaving the restaurant. “We don’t want our guests to feel as though they have to do something for us,” he said, “we just want them to leave feeling that they would like to come again.” So the dilemma is this: How should small businesses use the valuable resources available to them to harvest, assess and implement customers’ experience and views, while at the same time, just allowing the customer to enjoy a good experience? Why you should request customer feedback: Customers get a chance to think about you in detail, which cements your relationship. Small problems can be identified and rectified quickly, before they escalate. You can assess your position in your market, with regard to your competition. You can assess the relative value of specific initiatives, such as promotions, sales, or specific offers. You can demonstrate to your customers that you care what they think. When you should request customer feedback: After the service has been provided in full, and before the customer has forgotten about it. After the customer has had a chance to experience the product fully. Where the specific experience can be usefully evaluated, and not just as a ‘matter of course’. How you should request customer feedback: Choose the right time, and do not assume it is your right to expect it. Not too often. Regular customers get very tired of being constantly asked the same questions. Not too much. Ask questions which are relevant, which will clearly direct you to areas of potential improvement, and which the customer will appreciate are valuable. Don’t try to direct customer response. Wording your question ‘we think all our waiting staff are marvellous, would you agree?’ is irritating; the customers may not have anything to say about the staff, but will be distracted from suggesting something more relevant to them. Use your usual language. Use the ‘voice’ you employ for all your marketing and business literature. Don’t suddenly revert to Dickensian speech, or what you believe to be the language of academic researchers. And before you start: Do you really need this research? What do you hope to gain by it? What will you do with the results? There is only one thing more annoying than being constantly asked if you are having a nice time, (while you are still having it) - and that's telling someone you are not having a nice time, and then seeing them do nothing about it. After all, your customer has the right to expect that you will do your job well, and ideally, that you will provide a better experience than he or she expects. What else do you want – a medal?  Do you find yourself wondering why you feel stiff and weary at the end of the day? Do you get a lot of headaches or back pain? Do you feel as if you’ve been carrying bricks up a hill rather than working at your desk all day? Check you’re getting as close as possible to the best working position, and you’ll really notice the difference. When sitting at your desk: 1. Hands and wrists should be in line with each other and parallel to the floor 2. Your head should be in line with your back, which should be vertical 3. Your shoulders should be relaxed, and your upper arms hanging normally 4. Your elbows should be close to the body, and at an angle within 90-120 degrees 5. Your feet should be fully supported on the floor or a footrest 6. Your back should be supported if you’re sitting vertically or leaning back 7. Your set should be well-padded under your thighs and hips 8. Your knees should be level with your hips. Don’t worry if it feels a bit odd at first. It’s probably because you’ve got into bad habits. Give it a bit of practice, and it will soon become second nature. Top tip? Stand up every twenty minutes or so, and walk around, stretch fingers, hands, arms and back. Why not see if you can touch your toes? It’s not a workout, but it all counts. .  Crowdfunding – the collection of funds through small contributions from many parties in order to finance a product or venture – has been growing rapidly in recent years, mainly due to the possibilities afforded by the internet. There are already hundreds of crowdfunding platforms through which investment can be sourced in the UK, and scores of projects have been made possible.
How do you do it? Basically, you use the internet to find a site which you think will work for you and if you are an entrepreneur or project ‘owner’ you register your venture for crowdfunding, whilst if you are an investor, you register yourself, and then choose ventures in which to invest. Sound simple? It is. But before you start, Salt has a few general tips to help you know what you’re getting into. (It should go without saying that, as with anything involving money, you should make sure you read all terms and conditions carefully, and take necessary precautions to keep your personal and financial details safe). Benefits for the investor: You can feel part of a new venture, and whether its purpose is charitable of profit-making, you can feel that you have contributed to someone else doing well. You may be given an opportunity to put your name (or your company’s name) onto the venture in some way, resulting in publicity and brand awareness for you You may be offered some form of reward in terms of product or service, or credits for future purchases You may even – and it has to be said, this is rarer, receive some financial return on your investment. Risks for the investor: If the project fails to reach its revenue-generating target, your money may be lost. There are safeguards on some sites, which ensure that cash is held in an escrow account until it’s all there, so if the scheme doesn’t make it, the money is returned, but not all sites will do this. If the project raises its money but then fails, your name may be attached to a failed venture. You may find yourself carried away by the ease of investment and the excitement of project plans available for you to invest in. Remember, it’s business. Benefits for the entrepreneur or project owner: You may well be able to raise money you would not be offered through conventional sources, ie. banks. You have a ready-made customer base, through which you can raise profile, source feedback, increase sales, test product and make predictions and forecasts for the future. The voice of your ‘crowd’ may well help you in developing your venture further through larger scale funding sources. Risks for the entrepreneur Your failure, should you experience it, is much more public Crowdfunding sites offers little or no Intellectual Copyright protection. Once your project and its workings have been exposed to investors, it is ‘out there’ and anyone can copy it. (You can take steps to protect yourself through trademarking, patenting, copyrighting etc but the responsibility is all yours). The bank of donors registered with a given crowdfunding site may become exhausted, if aked for too much, or to invest in too many projects There is as yet no regulatory framework supporting crowdfunding. Where there is money, there are scams. Salt for Small Businesses will keep a lookout for more info and tips on this exciting new way to get involved in business and make things happen. In the meantime, if you have direct experience of crowdfunding, as an investor or as an entrepreneur, please let us know.  If none of us is in a deckchair, or on a beach it seems that we still haven’t won the Lottery. (If you have won the Lottery, stop reading this and go immediately to the Seychelles. Do not pass Go, you don’t need the £200). So we’ve decided to take a look at some tips for motivating your team, whatever the weather: 1. Invest time in your people. Ask them what they want, how they feel about their work, and what they think about the business. Value their opinions and commit to acting if necessary (arranging some training perhaps, or scheduling an hour or two to discuss an idea further) 2. Share information. You don’t have to tell everyone your problems, but information which will shed light on your decisions, or help guide the work you’re asking people to do, is worth sharing. 3. Create a positive company culture. Fear, loathing and suspicion are as dangerous as they sound. Think positively, speak optimistically, and trust people to carry out the work you give them. 4. Recognise and reward performance. You can be creative about the rewards, even if pay rises and financial bonuses aren’t possible. Perks, time off, and a round of drinks all count, and in fact, sometimes remembering to say ‘thank you’ is reward enough. 5. Conduct a team building exercise. This can be constructive as well as social. Encourage people to act as a team, divide into competitive groups, and challenge their traditional roles. Sometimes just asking one person to do the job of another for a day can be a real eye-opener all round. (Unless your small business is a dentistry practice or a driving instructor perhaps). 6. Clear up misunderstandings immediately, and make sure others do the same. Five minutes spent going over something again can save hours of fruitless work and resentment. 7. Create stages for your planned work goals and reward progress. ‘We want 25 new customers by the end of the month’ is a more effective motivator than ‘we want to be the market leader in five years’. 8. Discourage buck-passing. This means you as well as everyone else. It’s much easier and quicker to put a mistake right if the person who made it can feel confident in owning up, and being part of the remedy than it is if you have to wait until something goes really wrong before you find out, and then you have to spend too much time identifying the source of the error and repairing the damage. (But if you’re the boss, remember that to your customer, it was your fault. Internal discipline is for inside companies). 9. Own the results. Be honest about who has contributed to success, and take responsibility for yours. Most of us are reluctant to blow our own trumpet at work, but if there’s music to be played, toot away. 10. Have something to look forward to. A night out, a shared lunch, a team building cupcake course, an afternoon at the races, whatever it is, plan it, schedule it for some time ahead, attach performance goals to it, and bring your team together to get there. In the meantime, we can all look forward to the weekend….  Welcome to Salt for Small Business. It’s about putting spice into your small business, or your freelance and contract work, and getting the most out of it, for you, your colleagues and team mates, and your customers. But more than anything else, it’s about being happy in your business.
Because happiness is the new success. And that's a very big deal. So this blog is about the work/life balance, good customer relationships, judicious management of funds, and knowing when to work and when to stop, when to forge ahead and when to take a step back, when to speed up along the journey and when to pull off the road for a rest, and smell the flowers. |
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